With the price of C&R rifles and ammo expensive and only increasing in price since I 1st got my FFL03 15'ish years ago, I got my renewal packet the other day from the BATF&E. Now granted its just a $30 renewal fee but its it worth it any longer?

M1 Garands from the .gov are scare
Ammo for all the old stuff is only increasing in price.
I have M1's, 91/30, M44 and the assortment of other fun really old stuff.

Parts are parts, save a couple cents here and there while having my ffl on file is ok



Should I keep renewing or let it expire

Question:
Should I keep renewing or let it expire

Choices:
Expire?
Renew?

 

I voted renew on the premise that it's better to have and not need, than to need and not have.

Things change. Whether for better or worse is a crap shoot.

I voted renew. I just did so with mine. You never know when you might come across something. No reason IMO to let it go.

If you buy more than 1 C&R gun every 3 years, or your local FFL charges more than $30 for a transfer, keep it.

If you don't plan to buy any more, or only 1 every few years, let it expire.

Also, keep in mind that anything over 50 years old is C&R. It's not just milsurps. We've recently entered the 1970s, with the 1980s around the corner.

Renew. The pendulum will swing back.

I just sent in the renewal for mine. You never know what you will run into down the road.

I have spent more on stupidness than $30. At least you have your license. I kick myself years ago for not doing it.

Renew as it may be difficult to obtain again down the road.

I'd keep it. It's cheap to renew, and who knows where gun legislation will go in the next few years, but I doubt it will become any easier to get one.

for $1 a month, Id keep it

better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it

C&R, it's not just mil-surplus.

You're just not buying enough of the right guns! If I use mine once per renewal, it's saved me money on a transfer.

Renew, I can show proof that I don’t own an Arsenal but instead a collection. And the US federal government officially affirms that.

All you need to do is buy or sell 1 firearm per year to have it pay for itself.

I go through this every 3 years with my 01 license. I renew because I figure its cheaper and easier to renew than to start all over again if I wanted to get back into it.

My SOT on the other hand will not be renewed this year. I didn't make enough money off of it this last year to justify it.

quote:

Originally posted by walker77:
I go through this every 3 years with my 01 license. I renew because I figure its cheaper and easier to renew than to start all over again if I wanted to get back into it.

While that's certainly true of the other FFLs and SOTs, getting an 03 FFL is simple. Just the application form, with no photo/fingerprints/interview/inspection/etc.

And the price is the same for application vs. renewal on an 03. Plus if your 03 expires, you're not required to hassle with sending in your bound book, like other FFLs have to do.

So it's really no more work to let it expire and reapply later than it is to renew. Either one just requires filling out a form, mailing it in with a $30 check, and sending a copy of the form to your local CLEO. It's just that renewals are processed a bit quicker than applications for new ones.

There are other potential pros to keeping it active, but ease of application and cost savings aren't really a factor with an 03 FFL.


My 03 expired last year, smack in the middle of getting divorced, selling my house, finding a new house to buy, and moving. I just didn't renew it, since that was simpler than sending in my renewal and then shortly afterwards having to turn around and submit another form to amend my FFL with my change of address. Sometime this year, I'll probably get around to applying for a new 03 at my new address.

And as a side benefit, now I get to start over with a new bound book.

I don't have one, but I recently considered applying for one. My vote is keep it...what's it hurt?

Worth keeping mine to be able to buy at out of state gun shows.

Keep it. It's the price of a hard-bound book, the price of Appleby's dinner for two, I'ts three carwashes, it's a bottle of reasonably good hooch and even that won't last three years, it's a round trip ferry ticket (if you come to see me, call first), as mentioned above it makes you an official collector not a militiaman and you just might come across the Python that you never thought you'd see at that price again. So, yeah, keep it.

Do it if there’s any chance you might need it. I renewed mine a couple of months ago. Only takes a few minutes and the $30 to give you options and potentially save you money.

Keep it. Much easier to renew then apply again. Also don't at some point it may become harder and more expensive to apply.